Brunswick restaurants have been serving more than food and drink. In fact, there’s no shortage of ways they’ve given back to the community.
“In the city of Brunswick, we think it’s important to be public servants, but it’s also about the community and recognizing that there’s something more important than just dollars and cents,” says Grant Aungst, Community and Economic Development Director. “To have that sense of community where people want to be part of something, it’s critically important. We’re a large community in the sense of population, but small in connection.”
For any establishment looking to get involved in helping the community, Aungst recommends reaching out to the city manager’s office to learn about opportunities.
“We recognize that some businesses just aren’t in a position to do that, and that’s OK, but we hope that as many people that want to participate will participate,” Aungst says. “For the most part, people are willing to give of themselves and give up their time, and if they’re able to give something more, that’s amazing. In the long run, they’re a very kind and giving community, and it brings people together and helps us grow as a community.”
Confection Connection
A nonprofit bakery specializing in classic baked goods, Confection Connection has a special mission baked into its business model: It provides an accessible and inclusive work environment for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“The entire purpose of the bakery was to be this program. It was never meant to just be a bakery,” says Izzie Fox Woodcock, bakery operations manager.
Opened in June 2023, the bakery teaches employees not only how to bake recipes from scratch, but perhaps more importantly, imparts knowledge on life skills such as how to work with other people in a job setting, how to write resumes, how to conduct oneself in an interview and how to advocate for oneself.
Each individual within the program goes through two hours of training every day and three hours of paid work.
“It’s meant to be a place where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can get vocational training and learn new skills and prepare them to get jobs within the general community,” Fox Woodcock says.
3819 Center Road, Brunswick bakery.iamboundless.org, 330-641-2531
Cool Beans
Cool Beans, which serves coffee, pastries, salads, wraps and paninis at its main location in Medina, hasn’t officially opened the doors to its new concept in Brunswick: a drive-thru with outdoor seating for warmer weather.
And yet, the establishment is already coming in hot on the giving front with its donations to the Sept. 13 Trike & Bike event at Brunswick High School. Trike & Bike is a series of community-organized bike rides for children throughout Northeast Ohio. The rides benefit VeloSano, which supports pediatric cancer research at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. In addition to donating its own funds, Cool Beans has spread the word about the initiative on its social media channels.
“This is something that’s so easy to give to, participating in it financially and helping to share it and spread the word,” says Laura Cavey, owner of Cool Beans. “Between my husband and I, we have five kids, and we’ve been fortunate where we don’t have any situations where we have to wonder what’s going to happen medically next.”
She adds, “If we can do anything toward finding new cures for that, any donation is worth it to me.”
330-723-7174, coolbeansmedina.com
Panini's Bar & Grill
Just as the sandwiches at Panini’s in Brunswick are stuffed to the brim, so too is the restaurant’s capacity for giving back, with a special focus on the schools.
“On a business level, over half of our staff are Brunswick High School (BHS) or Career Center students or alumni,” says Michael Terlizzi, general manager of the Brunswick Panini’s. “I have worked at Panini’s for 12 years now, and we have always been very active.”
Some of the restaurant’s initiatives include fundraisers to raise money for school groups, as well as food donations for Brunswick High School football home games, after prom, the Mrs. Northcoast Pageant and the Mr. Blue Devil contest. Panini’s also hosts team dinners for sports teams within Brunswick where a portion of the food is donated, and every year, the restaurant hosts a carwash to raise money for Pop Warner football players and cheerleaders and a retirement gathering for teachers in the community.
“We just like to give back to the community as much as possible to show our gratitude for the customers that keep our business profitable and the employees that work so hard for our company,” Terlizzi says.
3520 Center Road, Brunswick, 330-460-6120, paninisgrill.com/locations/Brunswick
9er's Diner
Giving back to the community has been a high priority for 9er’s Diner since its founding in 2018. The diner is especially active in giving back to the Rotary Club, veterans and disadvantaged children.
Each Easter and Christmas, the diner collects gifts for children who’ve been impacted by the opiate crisis, and the first Tuesday of every month, the diner supplies meals for teens.
“Everything we do is mostly for the kids,” says Ed Neiner, owner of 9er’s Diner. “The kids did not ask for how they’re brought up in this world, so if something bad happens to them, especially with the opiate crisis, it affects all of us at this restaurant.”
In addition, 9er’s offers discounts to veterans, and in 2019, the diner held a corned beef sandwiches night, where 10% of profits were donated to the Brunswick Hills Police Department. Similar benefits are held at the diner annually.
“We never usually turn anyone away,” says Neiner. “Whether it be a gift basket, gift cards, meals for school, we always give it. It’s just important that we give back. We try to help whenever we can. If everybody gave a little bit, we could wipe a lot of (these problems) out. Plus, it’s good corporate citizenship to support the community.”
63 Pearl Road, Brunswick, 330-460-6357, 9ersdiner.com
